


Mortality

by Coalmine301



Series: Comfortember 2020 [12]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Feels, Divergent Endings, Exhaustion, Gen, Impaling, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27652142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coalmine301/pseuds/Coalmine301
Summary: It was still shocking to see just how mortal these mystical Jedi truly were...
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Series: Comfortember 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996339
Comments: 5
Kudos: 91
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	1. War waits for no one...

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Comfrotember Prompt "Exhaustion"

Ahsoka gave a groan, flopping bonelessly on the field-cot. “Please tell me we’re almost done here,” she moaned tiredly. She’d fought in battles countless times before, just none this long and grueling. Sieges, amirite?

The mattress sagged as Anakin laid down beside her. “Force, I hope so, Snips,” he muttered tiredly. 

Obi-wan said nothing, content to simply stretch out on the blonde’s other side. 

They had all come fresh from the last battle, robes torn and smelling of sweat and blood. Not to mention the bed was far too small to comfortably fit all of them. 

But right then the trio simply didn’t care. The closeness reminded each other they were all alive. For now. 

In the doorway two Captains exchanged a worried glance. “I don’t like this, vod,” Cody muttered, Rex nodding in solemn agreement. 

The siege had been hard on everyone, an endless grueling attack with casualties growing by the day. But this was the first time the clones had glimpsed the limits of Jedi endurance. 

As powerful and mystical as Jedi proved themselves to be, they were sentient too. Logically Cody knew this, it should hardly have been a surprise. But it was still shocking to see just how mortal these mystical Jedi truly were. 

Suddenly a wrist-comm chirped, causing all three Jedi to sit up with alarm. 

Cody barely had to glance down to know what it said. “It’s Ventress,” he stated grimmly. “She’s here.”

With that the trio exchanged a weary glance. No one wanted to get up now but all realized they had to.

Obi-wan was the first to rise. He staggered every so slightly but recovered quickly. “Well then,” he mused with a slight shrug. “War waits for no one.”

* * *

Another mortar shell impacted the ground, sending dislodged soil skyward in an earthen splash. It danced in the air to form a curtain of sand and dirt. Ghosts danced in and out of sight, here one instant and gone the next. 

A familiar shape appeared, just barely visible in the dust. Anakin snarled, swinging his blade at the shadow’s neck.

Only for the figure to dance gracefully out of the way. Of course Ventress was well-rested, not exerting herself. It had taken no effort at all to dodge the clumsy swing. 

With a haunting smirk the witch disappeared once more into the airborne dust cloud. 

The blonde let out a fowl Huttenesse curse, whipping around to try and glimpse where she may have vanished to. No such luck. The earthen curtain obscuring almost all from view. 

Instead Anakin closed his eyes, feeling the ebb and flow of the Force around him. It was everywhere, blazingly bright and omnipresent, like a great lake with stealthy undertows just beneath the surface. 

And everything cast into the lake left ripples dancing across the surface. Ripples Anakin can so easily read. Himself, his friends, his men, even the sith assassin. The sith assassin right behind-

Eyes widening in shock, Anakin turned to shout a warning. “Obi-wan, watch out!”

Too late.

The moment felt frozen in time. Ahsoka with her hand outstretched, teary eyes as she screamed their brother’s name. Anakin racing at a snail’s pace to reach him, eyes wide in horror.

Obi-wan’s fingers falling limp, lightsaber clattering to the ground.

A crimson blade through his chest. 

Obi-wan falls like a puppet cut from its strings. He lays there limp, lifeless. Chest not moving.

A heartbeat later time returns to normal, Anakin swinging his ‘saber with a feral scream. Ventress vanishes into the veil once more, the blade slicing through the space where her neck had been a moment earlier. 

Ahsoka is at Obi-wan’s side in an instant, pressing shaky fingers to the side of his neck. He’s alive, just barely. He might not be that way much longer.

The blonde scoops him into shaky arms before he knows what he’s doing. He bolts in the direction of the med-tent. His feet know the way.

Ahsoka runs alongside him. Her eyes never leave the bearded man’s too pale face.

Anakin makes the mistake of glancing down at the brutal wound in his best friend’s torso, almost losing his lunch. The wound punches right through, destroying flesh and parts of organs in its wake. 

Anakin forces himself to swallow down the rising bile and keep running. His legs burned in protest but he pushed the pain aside. It was nothing to the agony his brother must feel.

The wound is grizzly, yes, but Obi-wan will live. If only they could get him to a med-bay in time. Every second counted.

Force, don’t let them be too late...


	2. Ending 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the painful one

“Kix!”

The clone medic looked up just in time to see the very familiar form of General Skywalker sprinting towards him. Despite his exhaustion the blonde was racing full sprint, panic clear in those sapphire eyes. The same panic was painfully reflected in Tano’s youthful gaze.

It wasn’t too hard to see why. In Skywaler’s arms lay the wounded form of General Kenobi.

‘No, not form,’ Kix realized as the trio got closer. ‘Corpse.’

General Kenobi's eyes were closed, his face more lax and peaceful than Kix had ever seen. He would have looked like he was sleeping… if it weren’t for the gaping hole in the middle of his chest. All it took was a glance for Kix to know it was fatal. 

Skywalker walked a few steps past him to place the redhead on a nearby medical cot. He turned to the clone, eyes wide and desperate. 

“Fix him,” the blonde half begged half demanded. “Kix, please fix him.”

The medic shook his head. “There’s nothing I can do,” he replied sadly. 

Commander Tano let out a gasp, slender hand flying up to cover her mouth in horror.

Skywalker’s face spasmed with emotion at that information. Kix watched as his expression shifted from shock, to denial, to rage, back to shock.

“There must be something you can do,” he pleaded before his voice went cold. “Fix. Him.”

It wasn’t so much a demand at Kix as it was at whatever higher power existed. The demand to not take a grieving man’s brother from him. 

Kix slipped off a glove, pressing steady fingers to the side of the fallen general’s neck. As expected there was no pulse to be found. The skin was as cold as ice.

“I’m truly sorry, but he’s already long gone. There is nothing we can do.”

It was at that moment the loss finally seemed to register to Skywalker. Pain flashed across that tanned face, Kix could see the exact moment realization struck. The general crumpled, folding to the ground as sapphire eyes stared blankly at the floor.

It was when Kix was moving to tend to another patient that he heard the first sob. And another. And then a quiet wail, muffled as Tano brought him against her chest.

Kix’s heart clenched. He longed to stay and comfort the general but he had several wounded vode to tend to. So he glided away, turning his focus from the dead to those who might soon join Kenobi. 

They would have time to grieve later, but the battle still raged on.

War waits for no one.


	3. Ending 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the fluffy one

Cody’s heart pounded in time with the frantic footfalls of his boots against metal. When he had first heard the news he didn’t want to believe it. Had outright denied it in order to keep his attention on the field.

Yet as soon the battle ended Cody bolted, rushing as fast as he could towards the medbay. His general is strong. His general is hardy. His general has survived wounds much worse than this… or so Cody tells himself. 

He’s intercepted by Kix in the hallway, skidding to a halt before the medic.

“How is he?” The ‘he’ doesn't need to be specified. 

To his surprise Kix gave a slight smile. “He’s alive.” With that Cody couldn’t help but let out a massive sigh of relief. Oh, thank the Force.

“Skywalker and Tano brought him in just in the nick of time,” Kix continued. “He’s a little messed up but he should recover.”

“How bad?” Cody asked, some of that earlier worry returning. Not many were lucky enough to survive a lightsaber wound, especially to the chest. It would only make sense for Kenobi to come away with lingering problems from such a blow.

“Kenobi will likely be very weak for a while and may have difficulty breathing,” Kix informed him. “But he should eventually make a smooth recovery.”

Cody nodded, his throat suddenly dry. “Can… can I see him?”

“Of course,” Kix replied. “Just try not to disturb him. He’s still very weak.”

Almost before the other had finished talking, Cody turned and slipped into the indicated room. There General Kenobi lay in a clean white medical gown. He was as still as death and if the monitors didn’t indicate otherwise he would have assumed Kenobi had already passed.

Unsurprisingly Skywalker and Tano were both there. The duo lay on either side of the wounded man, their brother snuggled between them. 

The others glanced up at the sound of the door sliding open, only to immediately relax when they saw who it was. Ahsoka even shuffled a bit, giving Cody space to sit at the foot of the bed.

Up close the general looked even worse. His face was unnaturally pale, paler than Cody had ever seen. The frighteningly dark bags under closed eyes weren’t exactly helping matters. Nor was the way he seemed so small and thin in the simple medical robe. 

But Kenobi was alive, that was all that mattered.

Of course Cody knew his general would eventually die, they all would. Perhaps the war itself would kill him one day. It had already killed so many -vod and Jedi alike- what’s one more?

But Cody knew that day will not be today. Not with Kenobi’s friends by his side.


End file.
